Seeing the Light
by jenson40
Summary: Post-Revival Literati. A two year old and her damned Tangled phase, bringing them closer than ever before. In the end, it was always that damned song from that damned movie. It was always them. They just needed that last push from the Disney Princess to realize it.


**AN: Hello my lovely fellow Literati shippers! If you are like me you have most definitely had your hopes and dreams a bit dashed, but also a bit lifted. Without the closure, we have the ability to finish their story however we like. And that was what I did! This obviously picks up after the revival, and it's all about Rory's daughter, Rory, and their relationship with Jess. I hope you all enjoy this because I enjoyed writing it and I've worked almost nonstop (I would have worked nonstop if I didn't have school) since Sunday. I just had to get this on paper before I felt like I could keep writing for my story Mayday that I am working on getting my chapters prewritten. So I hope you like this, and please review if you did! Happy reading!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

She was going through a _Tangled_ phase. The kid was two, could barely form her words correctly, but when that movie was on, she was incredibly smart and humming and singing perfectly. Rory couldn't tell you why, but the toddler did love it. Frankly, her daughter loved all things Disney, but at the moment _Tangled_ was her favorite. Reilly would shout for (as she called it) "'Punzel" as soon as she walked through the door from day care.

She especially loved watching it with Jess (whom she would call 'Ess, in her cute little two-year-old way). Jess had become the father she never had. Logan would send a check in the mail every month, and he would skype every few months, but Jess was the one helping raise Reilly. She barely even recognized Logan, and it really did break Rory's heart no matter how much disdain she currently held for him.

She had always said that he could have as much or as little contact with Reilly as he wanted. She said that even though she was raising their daughter, she wanted him in her life. He didn't seem to care. He was moving on with his new family. His life with Odette, and the baby that they were expecting. She and Reilly were left in the dust. She did, however, like the feeling of him not being so involved that he questioned her parenting abilities or took Reilly on outings that she didn't approve of without telling her. It didn't make the single parent thing any less hard.

Jess had practically moved in with them, sleeping on their couch, being there for breakfast, taking Reilly where she needed to go and when. It had been one of the perks of Rory moving to Philly a few months before her daughter was born. She told Lorelai that it was to be close to Truncheon (they had agreed to publish her book. She knew Jess had something to do with it), but the elder Gilmore felt like it was to be closer to Jess (whom Rory had been growing rather close to since finding herself pregnant).

That was why one horribly freezing January morning, Rory called Jess to beg him to watch the tyke for the day. Her day care had been closed due to the freak snow storm, and the fact that half the kids had the most horrible cases of the flu that they couldn't let spread any more. Reilly had been fine, she hadn't been infected much to Rory's relief. Though, it was horrible that while her daughter got the day off, she didn't. She had started writing another book (this one about her relationships, how they had led her to where she was now, how they were good for her at those specific times, etc.), and she was meeting with a new publisher because if either Matt or Chris read this manuscript she would never hear the end of it. Also, there was no way she was going to let Jess read about her other relationships and how she felt about theirs.

Jess had been happy to come over that morning since conveniently the night before, the heating had gone out in his entire building. Rory wasn't sure how true that statement was, but she could never deny free babysitting. He had arrived as she was needing to walk out the door at six that morning, and he didn't need any information on Reilly since he knew her better than he knew himself. Rory had quickly kissed his cheek in thanks, and then she bolted out the door.

He had uttered a slight "Bye, love you" that she didn't hear. He was thankful that she didn't hear. He sat down at her kitchen table with her leftover pizza, and began writing himself. He hadn't realized how much time had passed until it was seven, and Reilly could be heard waking up on the baby monitor. He crept up the stairs, and smiled when he opened the door to the toddler's room. Despite the gaudy pink, it was a cute room. He especially liked the touch of bookshelves mixed with books that were acceptable for a two-year-old and books that she wouldn't be reading till she was fifteen.

Reilly was sitting up slowing in her crib that had been lowered down to a toddler's bed. Her little hands rubbed at her deep blue eyes (identical to her mother and grandmother's), and her adorable face was flushed from the warm blankets surrounding her. Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw Jess standing in the door way to her room. She had hopped down from the open space on the side of her bed, and rushed to his side. Her hands firmly clasped a human-book hybrid he had gotten her for her first Christmas that Rory had deemed "incredibly creepy" and "not allowed in her house," but Reilly loved it despite the odd form.

"'Ess!" She exclaimed, and wrapped her arms around his legs. He easily hoisted her up into his arms, and she placed her head in the crook of his neck. It was moments like these when he realized that kids maybe weren't so bad. As long as they were all like Reilly. He carried her down the stairs, and she contentedly sat at the kitchen table beside his computer while she waited for a toaster waffle. Jess cut it up into little pieces before giving it to her, and he groaned when she got the syrup all over herself in less than a minute.

She noticeably cringed (something he didn't think two year olds were capable of), and whined about how sticky she felt. He tried to clean her off to the best of his ability with a warm paper towel, but it didn't work, and the bath option was the only way out of jam hands. She slipped down from the chair she had been sitting on, and struggled up the steps. Jess followed closely behind because if anything happened to Reilly Gilmore he would have so much hell to pay. She had luckily discarded the human-book thing (which she had named Hemingway or "Hemwee" because Jess had corrupted her at a young age) in her room before breakfast, so it didn't have to be washed.

Reilly had her play time, but Jess nearly forced her from the tub when her fingers looked even worse than prunes, if that was even possible. He fought her on putting on real clothes instead of pajamas, mainly because she wanted to put on the ones she had just gotten much too sticky. Eventually, she agreed to wearing leggings and a sweatshirt because Jess had promised her they were just like pajamas. He was surprised at how well her debating skills were at only two.

Somehow upon returning downstairs, Jess had gotten her to agree to watching a _Sophia the First_ episode that was recorded instead of _Tangled_. He had sent Rory a snap of it (he absolutely hated the app, but he did it for her like most things he did now a days). She sent him an astonished selfie, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes at the fact that they were snapping each other. Reilly grew bored of the show, and she tugged at Jess's hand to get him to follow her around the house wherever she wanted. He did so willingly, and it was moments like these that he wondered why Logan would ever pass up this opportunity.

The kid was adorable. Her brown curls and bright blue eyes. Her little two year old toothy grin that was wide and always laughing. Her adorable way of fighting everything he or Rory said even if she didn't understand what they were talking about. The way she snuggled up in his arms after a long day of playing. The fact that she had watched _Tangled_ a million times, but she was still able to find joy in it while the adults groaned that they could easily recite the entire movie. Her messy way of eating, normally disgusting, but only got cuter when she ended up with pizza sauce covering her plump, porcelain, white, chubby cheeks. This was the life, and he wouldn't trade it for the world.

Jess felt like he was getting cabin fever after a few hours of being cooped up and watching endless reruns of _Sophia the First_ , so he bundled Reilly up against the frigid air, allowing them to go to lunch. He had begrudgingly pulled up the Disney playlist he had made for when Reilly road with him places. Sadly, he listened to this playlist more than he had ever listened to the stacks of actually good CDs he had kept at Luke's for years. However, even though he mildly detested the playlist he had made specifically for the youngest Gilmore girl, he couldn't stop the smile that appeared whenever he heard her humming and singing along in the back of his car.

"'Irst time fowev," She tried to sing along to "The First Time in Forever." Her little lisp, and the way she tumbled over the words brought a grin to Jess's face. She mumbled a majority of the words, but it still sounded good to him. Although, he was probably biased since she was (in his opinion) the best two year old to ever be. Her pudgy little hands clapped awkwardly when he pulled the car to a stop in front of Steak n' Shake. Frankly, it was his last choice, but Reilly loved it.

She buried her face into Jess's neck to shield herself from the cold. He gladly hugged her tightly. They were in the door when he noticed how her scarf had fallen loose. She squeaked as they braved the cold again, and she almost toppled from Jess's arms when he bent down to reach for the gaudy Rapunzel scarf. Her cheeks flushed pink when the warm air hit her cold face, and the hostess awed at her. The writer beamed with pride, and he didn't correct the woman when she accidentally called him Reilly's "Daddy."

They sat in a booth, and Reilly sat up in the booster seat. Jess ordered a burger for himself and a grilled cheese for Reilly. When it arrived, he hated the way he had to cut up the grilled cheese into tiny, child-size portions, but the open-mouthed smile Reilly gave him made it worth it. "'Ess!" She shouted when he stole a small bite of her grilled cheese. She glared at him, or at least tried to glare at him. He cut off a small part of his burger and handed it to her.

"What do you say, Rei-Rei?" He smirked at the toddler. She chomped loudly, not saying anything. "Rei-Rei?" He pestered, bopping her nose. She scrunched up her nose like Rory did, but she didn't respond to him. He shot her a pointed look, and her smile only grew. She was too mischievous for her age, and she had sadly gotten that from spending too much time with him.

"Tank." She said with a mouthful of cheese and burger. Jess nodded, now satisfied, and kissed her brown locks. He noticed how she watched the chocolate shake he had ordered, and he was ready when her chubby fingers reached for the glass. The glint in her eyes didn't go away when he pulled the shake from her grasp, and she pushed out her lower lip. "'Ess, pease?" She also signed 'more.' He knew that he couldn't say no to a Gilmore; especially, this one. So, he held the spoon out for her to also have a taste of his shake.

A few minutes passed, and Jess watched as Reilly's eyelids drooped lower and lower. He quickly payed their bill, and he carried the sleeping toddler to his car. She didn't wake the whole ride back to the town house, and Jess knew that this would be the easiest nap time ever. He took the time to work on his book. He got stuck on one sentence, and looked around the house for some form of inspiration. All he could see were toys, movies, and books splayed everywhere.

Eventually, three thirty rolled around, and Jess had to go wake up Reilly so that she would be able to go back to sleep at seven thirty. He entered the nursery to find her already awake with her thumb poised in her mouth. She easily got up from the bed, and she tried to walk down the stairs to the living room. Jess caught her a few times before her sliding took a turn for the worst. She did reach the bottom without any new bumps or bruises, so he called it a success.

She stood at the coffee table, a bottle of milk in her chubby fingers. She looked to the TV then to Jess. He watched her, preparing for the worst. "'Punzel!" She pointed at the TV. He knew that watching _Tangled_ would be inevitable, but he had wanted to see if he could break Rory's record of holding it off until six in the evening. Instead, he was flipping through the dozens of movies that were recorded in search of the tot's favorite film. She squealed happily, and Jess chuckled when she tried to get enough momentum to reach the couch.

He lifted her up, and she laid back onto his chest. Her little body snuggled as close to him as possible, and he readily shifted to ensure her comfort. Jess did roll his eyes as he quoted the beginning of the movie in perfect tandem. "'Ess, shhh!" Reilly scolded him, and placed a finger to her lips. He nodded, but didn't completely stop speaking the words. He just said them quiet enough so that she didn't hear him. He quietly sang along as well (he would never let anyone know except Rory, but she knew he did it to please her daughter).

When Rapunzel brushed her hair, Reilly sat up excitedly. "'Ush." She said to Jess. He looked between her and the movie. "'Ush." She said again, this time a bit firmer. Because he's such a pushover for this kid, he stood up and got the brush from the drawer in the downstairs bathroom. The brown eyed man returned, and he sat behind her to brush out the knots in her hair. "No!" She reached up and tore the brush from his hands. He moved back a bit to give the kid the room she wanted.

That was until she pushed him forward, and started running the brush through his hair. It was actually kind of funny, so he let it happen. She didn't know what she was really doing, but Reilly sang while trying to get the movements right. Jess inconspicuously pulled out his phone to take a video to send to Rory. After a while, Reilly got bored of brushing his hair, and she easily settled back into his lap. He did end up getting bored, so he took the brush and ran it through the two year old's shoulder length hair (this kid had a lot of hair, and no one knew where it came from).

"Fower geam gwow." Reilly mumbled when she felt the brush. She got tired of it eventually, and bossily told Jess to put the object away. He did because the youngest Lorelai Gilmore was not a force to be reckoned with. "See 'ight!" She exclaimed when Flynn Rider, or Eugene Fitzherbert, took Rapunzel out onto the boats in the lake. If Jess had to tell the truth, this was one of his favorite songs in the entire movie. Mainly because he caught Rory singing it a few times horribly and off key, and to him it was the best performance he had ever seen.

The credits were rolling when Rory finally entered the town house. She could hear the last few songs from the credits that Reilly demanded be played even though there wasn't any movie left. She also heard a slight hum coming from Jess who was cuddled on the couch with her daughter. Rory leaned over the side of the couch, and placed her hand on Reilly's head lovingly. The toddler craned her neck to see her mother, and they both smiled brightly while they embraced. The child's attention had flown from Jess to her mother in no time, but that didn't mean she didn't want her father figure to stay around for dinner.

He had tried to get out of it, not wanting to impose. "Come on, Jess. I ordered a meat lovers." She did her best Bambi eyes. He never could resist her Bambi eyes. He tried to stay strong, to let the Gilmore girls have their dinner, but Reilly also shot him her Bambi eyes, and he was a goner. He relented, and had to keep from covering his ears from the high-pitched sounds coming from the girls.

Later that evening, Jess was working on his book on Rory's couch while she was getting Reilly ready for bed. The two-year-old was easy when it came to bed time; Jess was always good at tiring her out. Rory's favorite part of bed time was after Reilly was changed in her jammies, and they snuggled up in the rocking chair to read a book. That night, the younger Gilmore picked _Tangled_ (shocker), and she pointed to the picture of Rapunzel reuniting with her parents. Rory paused, wondering what her daughter would possibly have to say about her favorite story.

"'Punzel's daddy?" She pointed to the king. Rory nodded her head and started reading again. When the page had turned, Reilly pushed it back to the picture aforementioned. The blue-eyed mother was worried when her daughter kept looking intently at the picture of the reunited family. She didn't think it bothered the child that she didn't have a real "father" in her life; she was two, so it shouldn't register with her. "Mommy?" She was still staring intently at the king.

"Hmm?" Rory looked between the picture and Reilly. She ran her hand through the toddler's locks, and waited for her daughter to continue. When nothing was said, she began reading again. Yet again, Reilly pushed the page back. "Baby, what is it?" Rory really needed to get the child to bed, so she could talk to Jess about her next book and the publisher.

"Mommy, 'Ess Daddy?" She asked innocently. The woman's heart stopped. She did not expect that question from her two-year-old daughter. She had thought they had plenty of time before Reilly asked about why Logan wasn't in her life. Now, he was in her life so little that she was asking if Jess was her father. Rory could believe that Reilly would at one point ask about the Jess and Logan situation, but she was currently missing out on so much without a father that she was making up one. The poor kid was only two, and her father already had another family. It was hard when Rory herself had been seventeen, she couldn't imagine it for her baby girl.

She cupped Reilly's cheek, and the two pairs of blue eyes met. "I'm sorry, Baby. Jess isn't your daddy. You remember Daddy. He called from London." She spoke slowly, hoping it would sink in. Reilly shook her head. She couldn't even remember her own father. The reality of their lives brought tears to Rory's eyes. Her daughter had such a miniscule relationship with her father that she literally could not recognize or remember him now. "It's time to go to sleep." She chided, trying to keep the tears at bay. Reilly nodded somberly against her mother's chest, and Rory took the last cuddle before placing the toddler in her bed.

She shut the door and placed her hand over her mouth to keep the sobs inside. She made her way down the stairs, and the first thing she saw was Jess sitting beside the fire he had just built. Rory had swallowed her sobs upstairs, and she moved to sit beside whom she considered her best friend lately. She placed her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped an arm securely around hers. "Reilly wants you to be her dad." She blurted. She could feel his intake of breath and the movement of his head, but Rory refused to move her eyes from the dancing flames.

Jess didn't mention how he wanted to be Reilly's dad. It wouldn't do well right now. "She asked me if you were," She continued. "She doesn't know Logan at all, but she knows you. It just makes me so angry. He has a daughter—the best freaking daughter ever—and he has every effing opportunity to get to know her, but he doesn't. And she doesn't even recognize him. I tried to explain to her who he was, that he had called, but she didn't remember him. I mean I get that we don't have a relationship anymore—I mean we can't—but that doesn't mean he can neglect Rei. I just, ugh…" She trailed, unable to go any further. Jess nodded, and she rested against him.

"He just has to, as Rapunzel says, 'see the light.'" Jess joked, and Rory fought the urge to kiss him for being so good to them. She would forever be indebted to Jess Mariano. He was the one who had been there when Reilly had colic, he was the one who comforted Reilly when she had a nightmare, he was the one who stayed with them when he thought they might need protection, he was the one who Reilly loved. He had always been there for them.

Rory looked at him in the firelight. He had been looking really good as of late; especially, how the orange and red glows flicked across his skin. She was finally seeing him a bit differently, or maybe she was finally coming to terms with her heart. But she couldn't help but hear the lyrics playing in the back of her mind.

 _Now I'm here blinking in the starlight. Now I'm here suddenly I see. Standing here it's all so clear, I'm where I'm meant to be._

 **XXX**

Logan finally visited a week later after the very angry mother of his child had called. Rory had almost called to demand that he turn over his parental rights so that Jess could be Reilly's father. She didn't, but she wanted to. It was the first time he had been back in the states since Reilly's first birthday. He hadn't even been there when Reilly was born. Jess had, he had been in the delivery room with her and her mom. So, she had every right to be smug when Logan's smile fell the first time he had seen his daughter in a year.

Reilly had been upstairs with Jess running around and trying to catch her in order to get her dressed. She had refused to wear the shirt that Rory had picked out because it didn't have Rapunzel on it. She adorably rushed around the loft in only her diaper, and every time the writer caught her, she wiggled from his arms after giving him the Bambi eyes. Jess hadn't even registered that Logan had come to the town house from the airport. Logan could hear everything going on upstairs, and Rory smirked when his smile turned to a grimace.

"'Ess!" Reilly could be heard down the stairs. There was some oomphing, and a loud thud that surprisingly didn't scare the mother. She knew it had to have been Jess falling over when she heard her daughter's giggles. "No, 'Ess! 'Punzel!" She audibly fought the man. Lots of grunting could be heard as he tried to get her into the clothes.

"See, don't you look pretty Rei-Rei?" He asked her, triumph evident in his tone. "No, no, Reilly!" He shouted as she took off her dress, and once again started running around. He finally got ahold of her and tickled her stomach. "Fine, you can wear the Rapunzel dress." He relented much to Rory's chagrin. She knew he couldn't fight Reilly on anything, but at least this time he made an effort. The two made their way down the stairs, Reilly's face tucked into Jess's neck. That was when whatever was left of Logan's smile died.

The blond man looked at his daughter, trying to smile. She now stood on the ground, but her arm was firmly looped around Jess's leg. Logan got down on the tyke's level, and he spoke to her in soft tones. He tried all that he could to get her to come to him. She refused, unaware of who this man was. "'Ess, up." She whispered when her father took another step closer. Jess gladly obliged (anything to put the douche in his place), and Reilly hid in the dark haired man's arms.

"Mommy?" She glanced at the woman who gave her life. Rory nodded, wanting to know what was going on in her daughter's mind. "Go wath 'Punzel, 'Ess?" She pointed between herself and the man who was holding her. The mother wanted to say yes, tell her daughter to run far away because the man in their foyer only came when he got an angry call, not because he actually wanted to see his daughter.

"Not now, Baby doll. Daddy's here." She indicated the billionaire finally visiting them. Reilly looked at Logan with scrutiny (if it was even possible for someone of her age), then she looked to Jess. She kept her focus on Jess for a moment longer because he made a funny face, but she looked to see Logan standing with open arms. She was confused, and Rory could tell that when the confusion started, the tears were not far behind.

She looked between the two men again then back to her mother. "But 'Ess, Daddy." She patted Jess's shoulder. The man holding the toddler fought back his smirk as he looked at Logan's unhappy expression. Rory too fought back her smirk; she may have been incredibly angry with Logan earlier that week, but that was because he never made an effort. She secretly believed that he deserved to have this thrown in his face, and prove that he wasn't Reilly's dad.

"Rei-Rei," Jess finally cut in. The little girl always did listen to him. Well, not a bit earlier when he was trying to get her dressed, but she did about other things. "You remember your daddy. He called you on Christmas." He tried to get the child's memory going because no matter how much he wanted to be Reilly's daddy, that position was already filled. The blue eyed toddler studied her father and his still open arms. She climbed down from Jess's arms; she moved towards Logan tentatively.

"Hi, Daddy…" Her eyes shifted between her mother and Jess. They both nodded, and she gave a stiff hug to the man she barely knew. From that moment, the adults explained to the little girl how she would be spending the day with her biological father. She slowly nodded, and she sadly allowed Logan to take her out to his car. Rory followed behind closely, and her heart stopped when she saw Odette sitting in the passenger seat.

The French woman smiled pleasantly and waved to the Americans. The mother wanted to wrap her arms around Jess's torso like they were a couple, so that she could prove to Logan that he had been replaced in more ways than one. She waved as nicely as she could to the woman whom she had come to dread the last few years. She may be long over Logan, but Odette would always be the thing that kept them from at least having a good relationship for their daughter. The two adults helped put Reilly's car seat in Logan's fancy rental, and each placed a sweet kiss to her forehead before saying their goodbyes.

The next few hours were treacherous for Rory. Her daughter, the only thing that really gave her purpose, was gone. She hated that Logan was having an outing with Reilly and Odette. That Odette was sweeping in on her turf. However, her feelings of inadequacy fled quickly when Logan brought back a sobbing Reilly. She was struggling in her father's grasp, and Odette was standing a few paces behind with the car seat in her hands and an annoyed look on her face.

Rory handed off her daughter to Jess, who took the toddler upstairs to go get her changed into her pajamas. She stepped out onto the front porch, unable to feel the chilly winter air because of her mama bear mode. "What happened?" Her tone was accusatory, and she scowled at the father of her child and his wife. She looked between the two of them, waiting for their answers.

"Nothing, Ace—" Rory cut him off.

"You lost the right to call me that years ago," She growled before letting him explain what happened that afternoon.

"Look, Rory. We just went to the aquarium, and she started saying rather rude things to Odette, so I put her in her place." Rory's face grew red. After this day, she wasn't letting Logan anywhere near her daughter. She looked to Odette who was looking at the ground sheepishly.

"One, Reilly is scared of the aquarium. You would know that if you had only bothered to be around. And two, when you say you put her in her place, what did you do? And did you put 'put her in her place,' or did Odette?" Her voice was filled with malice as she eyed the two of them. Logan's lips turned to what was now deemed his 'mad face.' Odette was watching Rory's shaking form with disgust. She was doing a surprisingly good job at keeping it together, in her opinion.

That was until, "She was being rude, and throwing a fit in front of the entire city of Philadelphia! I just gave her a few spankings to discipline her for calling Odette 'Odie,' and not obeying us, and making that scene." He tried to justify his actions. Instead of getting the praise he had been expecting, he was met with an incredibly strong slap. That was the moment that Jess chose to step outside to drag Rory back into the house.

"Stay away from my daughter," She seethed. The mother pulled her arm back, ready to slap her child's father for the second time, but Jess intervened. He wrapped his strong arms around her shaking frame, but she still fought him. "I thought I would let you in our daughter's life, but after today you're done. Sign over your rights because Jess is her real father. Has been since the day she was born. I'm not so sure of what you are." Then she spit on his shoes. Logan's face was a bright red, and Odette's countenance was expressionless. Rory turned so that she was hugging Jess; he brushed his fingers through her hair, and they trailed down her back. He gained the satisfaction of seeing the jealous look in Logan's eyes.

The writer pulled Rory into the town house, and she visibly relaxed in the warmth of her home. She felt tears pricking at her eyes, and she was confused as to why she would be sad to have _him_ out of her life. He had changed so much from when they first started dating; he had changed for the worst. He had led her to believe that the whole cheating thing was ok; whether he used her or other women. He had at one point seemed like he could have been a father like her own (not always there, but loving). She couldn't believe he now was fine with randomly slapping their daughter's behind for being scared in public and unable to say her step-mother's name considering she was only two.

"Rory, what was that?" Jess asked her in disbelief. He couldn't believe that she was pushing Logan out of her and Reilly's lives. She always told him how she wanted the toddler and her father to have a relationship one day. It never mattered how much it killed him to see the kid that he was raising call someone else 'Dad' because that's how it was. Reilly was Logan's daughter. Rory had always known that, and it surprised Jess how easily she kicked the blond to the curb.

Rory's head hung low, and she stared at the shut door. She didn't even know what that was. "I…" She couldn't think of a single way to explain to him what was going through her head. She couldn't tell herself. "Mama bear mode," She mumbled and tried to smile. He still stared at her incredulously, waiting for the real reason. She groaned because she knew she would have to think of something to explain her outburst. "He spanked her. In public because she called Odette 'Odie,' and she was scared of the aquarium. It just frustrates me that Reilly doesn't even recognize him, but he still thought it was ok for him to punish her. She's two, and she was scared. You don't punish a kid for being scared. You punish them for blatantly disobeying you. I just hate him, and I don't want him anywhere near her."

Jess watched her slowly sink into the dining room chair. "You don't mean that." He tried to get her to agree with him. She shook her head defiantly. She did mean it; every word that she had spoken outside and inside. "Come on, Ror. You always talked about how much you wanted Logan to at least be in Rei's life." He continued. She looked like Reilly the way she was defying him.

"I did, but then he did that," She looked down to the ground before meeting Jess's eyes. "You're her daddy, Jess. She loves you; she already thinks you're her dad. You have been since the beginning. She was right." Rory looked away when she felt her cheeks flushing. She felt a tad embarrassed, but she had to speak the truth. At least she wasn't saying that she wished she could turn back time so that he was her father. That would have been humiliating. "Logan may be her father, but you're her daddy." She finally met his eyes again, and she placed her hand on his cheek when she saw his eyes watering. He didn't let any escape; he was still the Jess Mariano who didn't cry.

Before anymore could be said, Reilly bounded into the dining room. "Mommy, 'Ess wath 'Punzel?" The two-year-old was back to her old self after her long day with her other family. The adults nodded in affirmation, and she jumped into their arms. They had done just fine without Logan for two years, who's to say they couldn't go the rest of their lives without him. She ordered a pizza while Jess set up to DVR.

The doorbell rang just as Reilly got comfortably snuggled into her mother's arms. Rapunzel had hit someone with a frying pan, and that was how Rory felt since she had to be torn from her daughter's side. Jess handed her a twenty to pay for the pizza, and she almost refused him. She ended up taking the money because she knew there was no fighting the man. Her blue eyes widened when she opened the door to not the pizza man, but Logan. He looked at her apologetically, and she quickly slipped outside. "You've done enough damage." She pointed her finger at his chest (she had been doing a lot of pointing since she became a mother. Usually, it was a joke between her and Jess and her mom and Luke, but she hoped it looked intimidating to Logan).

"You were right," He calmly stated. He had been there barely a second, and Rory was speechless. She gaped at him, her mouth moving up and down, but not eliciting any noises. "You were right. I'm not Reilly's real dad. I got jealous seeing her with that writer," Rory fought the urge to correct and smack his face again, but she didn't. "I'm giving you what you want. My rights will be gone before we head back to London. I'm sorry." She couldn't believe how humble Logan 'the most prideful human being ever' Huntzberger was being.

Rory really wanted to say that he should be sorry, but she refrained. She knew that it would only anger him, and when he got angry he only tried to take away other people's happiness. "Thank you," She whispered. He nodded solemnly, and she wondered how much it pained him to be doing this. The mother couldn't imagine the feelings that would course through her, but she was thankful that he was leaving them be. He was going to be a father again soon anyway. She just hoped he didn't screw that kid up too.

"Anything for you, Ace." He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she fought back tears. Another chapter in her life was ending, but she could be happy knowing that Jess would hopefully be in the next one. Logan made his way to his car, and Rory opened the door. She felt her daughter's and Jess's eyes on her when she returned pizza-less. His brown eyes searched her blurry blue ones, and she leaned into his loving embrace.

"He's gone," She choked. "Forever." She felt her heart leap when she saw him trying to hide his grin. He looked handsome, and she had to admit she watched him when he got up to get the pizza. She pretended that her cheeks didn't tinge pink when he play forced a slice into her mouth. Their eyes met during "I See the Light," and this time she acknowledged the love she saw in his gaze.

 _Now she's here shining in the starlight. Now she's here suddenly I know. If she's here it's crystal clear, I'm where I'm meant to go._

 **XXX**

Jess officially moved in with them a few days later. They kept telling everyone it was because his lease was up, and it was just easier for him to be closer to Reilly when he officially adopted her. The guys smirked knowingly when they told them that Jess was going to legally be Reilly's father. They had watched the two do this dance for the past two, nearly three, years, and the song was finally ending they hoped. Lorelai had held back her retort about how this was a long time coming, and Luke had pulled Jess aside and gave him the shotgun talk.

The day the papers were official they had thrown a party. Well, it was more of a get together with their friends and family. Reilly was excitable the whole day while she waited for everyone to arrive. She spoke unintelligibly (not like they could ever really understand her toddler babble, but sometimes she tried to communicate properly with the adults) when Lorelai and Luke and Liz and TJ and Doula arrived. Lorelai and Liz watched their children closely, waiting for them to slip up and reveal their "hidden" relationship the women believed they were in. The thirty-six year olds made sure to be extra careful when they realized what their mothers were up to.

Matt, his wife, Erica, and their five-year-old son, Alex, showed up a few minutes after Chris and his wife, Leah, and their six and four year olds, Parker and Ella. The three kids gladly went off to go play with Reilly, and Doula joined in even though she was thirteen. The wives flocked to Rory's side, begging her for answers they had craved since their friend moved to Philadelphia three years prior. The blue eyed woman had simply said the same thing she had been saying since moving to town, "We're just friends." Though the women couldn't miss the blush that passed over her cheeks.

"No, we're just friends," Leah pointed between the three of them. "You two are the farthest thing from friends." Rory looked to Jess who was working on a prank to play on TJ with Matt and Chris. He smiled brightly, and placed his finger on his lips when he caught her eye. She giggled lightly, and her friends shared a knowing look.

"He just adopted your kid." Erica whisper yelled as to not draw attention to them. "And you live together." She pinched Rory's arm, and the woman yelped. Jess's attention was drawn to the women when he heard her shout. He worried something had happened, but Leah shot him a smug smile, and he went back to his pranking (something he hadn't done in years). The blue eyed woman elicited another small squeak when her mother came up and pinched her butt.

"Hey, so I had this great idea," Lorelai beamed. Rory looked at her worriedly, that was never a good thing. "I was talking to Luke, and he was cool with us taking the kid back to Stars Hollow for the weekend so you and Jess can, ya know." Her eyebrows waggled suggestively. The younger Gilmore hid her face in shame, and her friends busted out laughing. "What'd'ya say?" She bumped their hips together. Rory turned to the meal she had to place in the oven to avoid her mother's question.

She shook her head annoyedly. "Reilly wants to watch _Tangled_ again because Jess is really her daddy now. She's been bumbling about it for a few days since we told her about the adoption." Rory tried to explain to get out of being in the house alone with Jess. She didn't think she could handle herself if it was just the two of them.

"Didn't you guys watch that last night?" Her mother mocked. Rory was about to respond was stopped when she heard a loud bang, and then a cry that was distinguishably Reilly's. Her gaze locked onto Jess's, and they bolted up the stairs to where they had told the kids to go play. They reached the loft, and saw Reilly holding her head after she had obviously run into the corner of the wall. The other kids sat around awkwardly, and made room for the tyke's parents to get to her.

She easily latched onto her mother's neck, and Jess followed closely behind. They reached the bottom of the stairs, and felt everyone's stare. The little girl was placed on the island, and Rory held Reilly steady while her roommate got ice for the goose egg forming on the girl's forehead. The writer returned with an ice pack wrapped in a paper towel; he held it against Reilly's head, causing her to jump back in surprise. After a few minutes of complete silence (except for the murmuring from their guests), Jess picked up Reilly and carried her to the rocking chair in the living room.

He rocked her gently, kissing her dark hair, and acting like he didn't have all the people that mattered in their lives studying his movements. The way he was with Reilly looked so natural, and she was quickly "healed" and went back to playing with her buddies and aunt. Rory had wrapped her arms around him, and their friends went about their business. "Crisis averted." Jess announced, causing all the people in the kitchen to chuckle. He never saw himself as the person to say corny things like that after fixing up his daughter's (that was officially the best phrase for him to say, hear, or think) scrapes. Before they parted, he heard Rory whisper,

"A father's touch."

Eventually, everyone had to leave for a myriad of different reasons. The most prominent being bed time. Or in the parents' cases, they had to get to their hotel because there was next to no more room in the town house. Rory had been a pushover that evening, and was letting Reilly stay up a bit later so that they could watch _Tangled_. She knew her daughter would be passed out before Flynn Ryder met Rapunzel, so it couldn't be all that bad. It most definitely wasn't when she insisted she go down the stairs by herself while Jess walked beside her to ensure she didn't fall.

The poor kid still had a goose egg, and it had started to bruise, but she was as happy as a clam. She had grabbed at her mother's legs, beckoning her into the living room for the movie. She had then sat both of her parents down, and snuggled between them. She was cuddled a bit more closely to Jess, but Rory didn't mind. She found it adorable especially when the two-year-old tripped on her words around him. "'Ess, Daddy." She would try to fix what she had been saying for the past two years, and it wasn't easy. They still thought it cute how she insisted on calling him 'Daddy' now. She didn't have to, but she would always call for him then change to his new pseudonym.

Rory had gotten up to get the tubs of ice cream they had tucked away in the freezer far from Reilly's reach. She came back during "I See the Light" (it was always that damn song). She could hear Jess humming along softly (Reilly had fallen asleep exactly when her mother predicted), and as she sat she felt his brown eyes following her. She handed him the ice cream; he whined because it wasn't in cones; she shut him up by putting the spoon in his mouth. She was trying to keep her attention on the movie, but his gaze was just too powerful, and they shared a glance when the cartoon characters crescendoed and harmonized.

Jess watched the TV and firelights dance in her blue orbs, and how he wanted to lean in and press his lips to hers. He could feel her cold, chocolate smelling breath, and he swore it mixed with his own. She didn't back away, and he thought he was dreaming when she moved a tad bit closer. Their noses were touching, and he still stared into those gorgeous blue eyes. Then in the spur of the moment, he closed the gap between them. It was finally happening; three years of sexual tension boiling over. They pulled apart, panting softly after remembering the small child between them. "I love you." He murmured.

Her eyes snapped open, and she quickly sat back. Rory couldn't believe what she had just heard. They had been right. Erica and Leah had been right. She ran a hand through her hair, and then looked up to see a hurt expression crossing Jess's face. It was the Firelight Festival all over again. He was putting himself out there, but this time he was waiting for her to reply. He wasn't running away. She didn't know what to say in response. Well, she knew what to say, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she brought him in for another kiss.

They pulled apart, and a crazy idea popped into her head. "Let's get married." She declared. Now it was his turn to sit back, and let it all sink in. The freaking love of his life asked him to marry her, and he was thinking about his answer. Disappointment crossed her visage. "It's perfect, I mean. Our parents are in town. You're officially Reilly's dad. We love each other. It's perfect." She rushed, and he smirked at her adorable rambling. "And if we get the license tomorrow we can get married three days after that, or we could go to Delaware and get married in two days instead of four. Or we could just pull a Mom and Luke and get the minister. Just please, let's—" She was cut off by his kiss, this one more passionate than the last two they had shared.

"Let's go to Delaware. I don't think I could wait four days." He mumbled against her lips, and he felt her mouth turn to a smile. Between them Reilly squirmed in her sleep. Jess easily hoisted the child into his arms, and he beckoned Rory to follow him upstairs. She did willingly, the smile still plastered to her lips. He softly placed Reilly in her bed, and then he wrapped his arms around the woman who was now his fiancé. They shared a sweet, soft kiss before stepping into her room.

They lay on her bed. Her head placed on his chest, and they talked. Just talked, nothing else. They talked about their upcoming wedding in the next two days, and what they wanted to do during that time. Their hands were intertwined in a sickeningly cute way, but they didn't care. "We could use your old room as another nursery." She said. He cocked his head to the side even though she couldn't see him.

"You got something you want to tell me, Gilmore?" He rubbed the palm of his hand down her arm.

"I want another one." She admitted, and lifted her head so they could see each other. He nodded, a smile gracing his features. His lack of reply didn't worry her when they shared a look. He seemed genuinely happy about that idea. Rory returned her head to the position it had been in a few moments previous, and she sighed contentedly.

"I think that can be arranged." He finally responded, and her grin widened.

The next day they packed up the car and drove the short distance to Delaware. They had found a hotel with enough rooms for her mom and Luke, his mom, TJ, and Doula, and of course for the three of them. They had thought about inviting Matt and Chris and their families, but it would be too hectic and last minute. Reilly had been more excited about the indoor heated pool than the actual wedding.

They made sure to get to a courthouse early enough that the twenty-four-hour wait wouldn't be too late in the afternoon. They couldn't just take off for too long. Their friends would get suspicious. Doula had ridden with them, chatting like there was no tomorrow. She also sang along with Reilly to all the Disney songs, creating more noise than they had ever had in their car before. Jess had tried to keep his eyes on the road, but his annoyed look gained the attention of his fiancée who ran her hand through his hair. He pulled her hand down to his lips and kissed it.

"I feel like we're Nathan and Adelaide, finally getting married, eloping, after…" Rory thought back to the first time they had met, doing the math in her head. Her eyes widened in realization and her face paled. "Nineteen years, good Lord. We're old!" She exclaimed when he stopped the car in front of their hotel. He decided to not think about their ages. Instead, he smirked, and ran his thumb over her hand that he still held.

"Well, technically Adelaide and Nathan waited fourteen years. And you know, _if you see a guy reach for stars in the sky, you can bet that he's doing it for some doll_ ," He recited the line from _Guys and Dolls_. Rory giggled beside him, and she got out quickly to get her restless daughter. Jess had moved around to get their bags from the trunk. He stopped though when Reilly came running up to him wondering where her swimsuit was. "Rei-Rei, you'll get to go swimming with Aunt Doula in a few minutes. Mommy and Daddy have to check in." He responded, and Rory swept in and picked up the two-year-old.

She was able to keep Reilly occupied for the most part while Jess checked them in. That was until she clambered down from her mother's arms and ran into the back of her dad's legs, pushing him forward a bit. "Rei," He groaned. Reilly looked up at him innocently, hoping to win the affections of the manager and keep her father's anger at bay. He stooped down to pick up the child, and she easily fit into the crook of his neck. He continued to check in, and Rory held a few bags, allowing Jess to carry their daughter up to their room. Their parents followed closely behind.

Immediately entering their room, Reilly grabbed at her bag. She couldn't open it on her own with her pudgy little fingers, but her mother got down on her level to open the bag. The child threw out all her articles of clothing in search of her swimsuit. Rory internally moaned thinking about putting that stuff back in the suitcase when they returned. Then, she too got her swimsuit on. Jess was the last one to get ready for the pool since he was the one who wanted to go the least. "'Ess, Daddy!" Reilly yelled and corrected herself. She was still getting used to the new term.

He had quickly gotten on his own suit, and the small family ran into their other family members in the hallway. Something he really wished he hadn't seen was a shirtless TJ walking out with Liz in her own swimsuit. Jess would be having nightmares for the rest of his life. At least Luke and Lorelai's suits were age appropriate, and Luke was wearing a shirt. They walked to the pool wordlessly because of Jess's awkward attitude. He looked ahead, Reilly swinging between him and Rory. He really couldn't dare glancing back at their parents in fear that he would see something as bad as TJ in tights.

Upon reaching the pool, Doula had immediately jumped into the warm water. Reilly had tried to follow, but she was quickly stopped by Luke sweeping her into his arms. The child's parents silently thanked him, and they worked to get her floaties on. When she finally was allowed to swim, Reilly tried to jump in before anyone was there to catch her. Once again, she was swept up by her grandfather, and he held her until Jess was in the pool.

Rory, Lorelai, and Liz had decided to get in the hot tub instead. They watched as their guys played with the kids in the pool, and Lorelai grinned like the Cheshire cat when she saw the smile on her daughter's face. "You chose good, Kid." She told her daughter. Beside her, Liz bobbed her head in agreement. Rory smiled a bit brighter as her eyes trailed back to her fiancé and daughter. She was extremely grateful for him, and she giggled when he caught her eye and waved. Reilly too waved ostentatiously, but lost interest and jumped out of Jess's arms.

Rory noticed the time and stepped out of the hot tub and towards her family. She sat on the side of the pool and dipped her toes into the much colder water. She shivered slightly, and her daughter forced Jess towards the edge of the pool. "It's n-a-p time." She told the man. Her point was proved further when Reilly rubbed at her eyes and laid her head on Jess's shoulder. "You tired, Baby?" She asked the child. The blue eyed girl sat back up suddenly awake. Her head shook furiously, and she kept trying to get down from Jess's arms.

Reilly shared a look with Jess, her lip protruding in that cute way of hers. He then did the same thing to Rory. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Then Jess's pout shifted to a smirk, and Rory saw the way Reilly smiled mischievously. She quickly pulled her legs up to avoid a confrontation, and she stepped towards the beach chair holding their stuff. However, she wasn't faster than her fiancé, who plopped the child in his arms on the poolside and hopped out of said pool. Rory tried to run, but she had to set an example for her daughter, causing Jess to quickly catch up to her. He grabbed her waist, and dragged her to the pool. Reilly giggled when he through the woman into the water and jumped in after her. The two-year-old followed suit and jumped into her father's waiting arms.

"Jess! It's freezing!" She yelled. The man still smirked, and Reilly couldn't stop giggling. In the end, Rory ended up laughing as well. "Fine, but we really do need to go rest." She told them after their laughter had subsided. He nodded, and surprisingly got Reilly to agree to a nap. He did have to bribe her with _Tangled_ , but she was agreeing to it. That was a victory in itself. They didn't even have to find the movie somewhere because halfway back to their room Reilly fell asleep.

They had placed the toddler on the only bed, and they sat on the side that she wasn't currently sleeping on. Jess was running his hand down the child's wet locks, and Rory held tightly to his other hand. Reilly inched closer in her sleep. "Yeah, another one wouldn't be so bad." The writer randomly said as his fiancée was dozing off. She smiled sleepily, placing her head on his chest. She felt him kiss her hair, and she knew that this was what happiness was.

 **XXX**

They returned from Delaware to an angry group of friends. Erica and Leah had seen the Facebook post, and they had been waiting in the living room of the town house. Matt and Chris had been there as well, but they were less frustrated than their wives. Leah had grabbed Rory's hand as soon as she had walked in the door, and then hit Jess rather hard because he didn't invite them to the wedding. He had explained that it probably couldn't be considered a wedding because it was literally just them being legally bound together for life. Leah hit him again after saying that. Rory sort of slapped his chest as well.

The women went off to go talk about the wedding, and how the weekend had been. Rory gushed about their family getaway with pools, cute restaurants, the wedding, and their parents being there. She explained how they had wanted to invite them, but had thought it too last minute for the other families to get it together in time. The other women were a bit more accepting of that reason for not being invited. Rory also off handedly mentioned how the weekend had been made even better because it had been the first time they had slept with each other; even though it had been nineteen years of sexual tension.

"Ror, it's Reilly's bedtime." Jess stepped into the dining room where the women had been talking. His friends' wives checked the time and gasped. They apologized that they too had to go put their own kids to bed, and they pushed their husbands out the door. Reilly could be seen curled up on the couch, her eyelids drooping as she tried to stay awake for her favorite movie. Rory scooped up her precious baby girl, and made her way up the stairs. Reilly clung to her mother, and it made said mother grin at how her daughter hugged her because she knew it wouldn't last much longer.

Jess walked closely behind them, smiling at his wife and daughter (the absolute best phrase he had ever thought). Reilly fell asleep before her head hit the pillow and her parents each kissed her forehead. They descended the stairs, the baby monitor attached to Rory's belt. Jess tugged at it lightly when he pulled her closer to him for a kiss. They hadn't even realized that the movie their daughter had been watching moments earlier was still playing. They did notice it though when "I See the Light" started.

It could now officially be deemed "their song." It had been that song that Rory realized her true feelings, and it was because of that song that Jess felt he was in the Gilmores' (now Marianos, and he liked that the best) lives. Their lips met again in a flurry of feelings. " _At last I see the light_." Rory mumbled against his lips. She sounded so corny singing the clichéd song, but he didn't mind.

" _All at once everything looks different now that I see you_." He replied, having skipped a few lines to get to his favorite part of the song. No one would ever be allowed to know that besides his wife and daughter, but they sadly could use it as black mail for years. He loved the way their lips meshed perfectly, and they found themselves going back up the stairs. The fog had lifted, the sky was new, it was warm and real and bright, and the world had shifted. They were finally seeing the light.


End file.
